Metal wagon body



Aug. 6, 1946. w, D, JOHNSON 2,405,358

METAL WAGON BODY y Filed June'S, 1945 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 Aug 5 1945-1- w.D. JOHNSON 2,405,358

` METAL; WAGON BODY 4 vFiled June e. 1945 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug.6,` 1946 UNI TED STATES PATENT o Fr l c E WAGON BQDY' WilliamD. Johnson,Chicago, lll. lApplicationJune A6, 1945, Serial No. 597,788

V.This invention relates .to `metal wagon bodies and 4its principalobject is '.to :provide ra metal wagon -lbody composedof sheets andstrips of light gauge sheet metal, secured together in. such amannerzas.to provide anextremely stronglsubstantial, yet .comparatively lightbody;the members of which can be readily .assembled 'andisecuredtogether. f

.Another object is to :provide 1a .truss like Ioor, capable ofsustaining heavyloads, `together with upright ,gussets or braces .for,bracing :the side walls of the rbo'dy.

Another object is to provides. floor, held under tension, whereby :theVsame .may be .kept from sagging .under the weight of the load.

Another .object is .to provide a novel connection between theoor andth'egside walls, whereby a truss like effect is obtained.

With these and .other .objects and advantages in view, .this inventionconsists .in the several novel features of construction, arrangement andcombination of parts Yhereinafter `Afully set .forth and moreparticularly .defined in the appended claims.

The invention .is vclearly illustrated in 'the-draw-- ingsvaccornpanying `this specification.,in which v:

' -Fig. .l is a plan of vafmetal wagon body, embodyinga :simple form ofthe present invention;

iig..2 .is La side elevation thereof with a lpart broken out;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation 'of the body;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross lsection taken on the lined- 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig 5 'is a detail fragmental cross section 'taken on the line 5-'5 ofFig. 2, and

iFig. 6-is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 6-'6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawings which are-merely illustrative of oneembodiment 'of the invention, the reference character lo designatescross sills, which'may `loe made of Wood or metal channels.

Bolted to the 'cross sills are .longitudinally extending, channelshaped, sills Il. Desirably angle shaped brackets I2 are spot welded Vtothe .sides ofthe longitudinal sills Il, vand bolts I3 extend through thehorizontal flanges .ofthe brackets and through'the cross sills l0, andhave nuts on the lower ends that .bear against the underside of thelongitudinal sills. The longitudinal sills are formed with outwardlydirected longitudinal flanges .I4 at their upper edges which are spotwelded to the .sheet metal floor `vl5 as will be presently explained.

vAdjacentthe .ends of thecross :sills are angle 7 claims. (o1. 29e- 15)shaped plates i6, also provided with horizontal flanges .for supporting.the floor.

The floor may ycomprise asingle sheet of l1ght gauge metal, bent up atthe sidef'edges to form upright U bends il of which the webs I3 extenddown to the sills it and are formed with horizontally extending anges2i] that rest upon'the sills and-are bolted thereto by -bolts and nutsi9, thereby placing the entire floor under tension. Reinforcement strips2i, may :be Yinterposed between the sills iii and extend `underneath'the channel shaped members 'IVI andthe -iianges u:2li and resten theholsters, (notshown) which-strips are bent upward at their endstojprovide :upright members 22, that are disposed outwardly -of the Ubends I7. A Between the depending portions t8 andl upright members 22 ofthe reinforcement stripsare the sheet metal side walls '3 ofthe bodywhich rise above the U bends and extend down to the upper edges of thecross sills where they are ibent upward as at 2% to `form U bends that.act 'to stiiienthe wagon body.

The side walls 23 are bolted to the upright f bends -i-'i of the vfloorand to the uprightmembers 22 of the reinforcement strips 2r! .by bolts'and nuts 25, Iand the sidewalls are also bolted tothe angle plates i6and upright members l8 4andilz by bolts and nutsk 26.

rIlhe side walls 23 of the body fextend'vertically for a portion cftheir height, and then Yare bent as at 2B vto slope outwardly as `at29,1and at 2i they are bent to stand lupright as at 30. Attheir upperedge portions, the sidewalls are .'bent'out ward horizontally to provideanges 3|., the 'edge portions of `which are bent ldownward as at 32 andconnected to thelside Wallsby obliquely slanting ylongitudinallyextending strips 33, spot welded or otherwise secured to the flanges 32and vto the side walls, thereby providing tubular rails that reinforceand stifen the top4 edgesof the side walls.

The ends of the body are closed by endwalls 34 which conform to thecontour of the cross section of the body and extend upward Vfrom thefloor to the top edges of the side Walls. The lower edge portions of theend walls may be flanged inwardly vas at 35 and bolted to the floor bybolts and nuts 35, or otherwise secured to the floor as desired. Theupper edges of the end walls are hanged inwardly as at 3l and thenbentdownwardly as at 38 to provide rails at the top of the end walls forreinforcing and stiifening the same. The rear end wall may be providedwith ariendV gate (not shown) as iscustomary.V

For reinforcing and stiffening the side walls, vertical metal braces orgussets 39 are provided on the outer sides of the side walls. The inneredges of the braces or gussets conform to the contour of the side wallsand are welded thereto. The outer edges of the braces or gussets slopeoutwardly from the ends of the cross sills for a considerable portion oftheir height and from a point approximately opposite the bends 21 of theside walls, the outer edges of the braces or gussets extend upright tothe tubular rails at the upper edges of the side walls.

The cuter edge portions of the braces or gussets are bent at rightangles to the main webs of the braces or gussets to provide flanges 4D,and the edge portions of the flanges are bent at right angles thereto toprovide websor ribs lllA that4 extend parallel with the main webs of thebraces. The lower edge portions of the main webs of the braces may bebent into horizontal flanges 42 that are bolted to the cross sills bybolts and nuts 43. The construction just described provides verysubstantial and rigid braces or gussets reinforced and stiffened attheir outer edges.

Similar braces or gussets 44 are applied at the front and rear cornersof the body and are welded thereto as well as to the side walls, therebyproiiriing very substantial reinforced corners for the y- As a.preference the corners of the body are reinforced and the side walls andend walls are tied together by upright angle irons 45 welded to the endwalls and connected to the side walls by bolts and nuts 46.

When the bolts I3 and I9 are tightened up, the

entire floor is placed under tension and the channel shaped sills Il andangle bars I6 together with the door sheets I provide a trussed floorcapable of carrying heavier loads than the ordinary wagon floors.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood aslimting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement andcombination of the parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a metal wagon body, the combination of a plurality of cross sills,a plurality of channel shaped longitudinally extending metal sillsresting on said cross sills and bolted thereto, a sheet metal floorresting upon and welded to said channel shaped longitudinal sills, eachside edge portion of said floor sheet being bent vertically up intoinverted U shape with one of the webs of each U bend extending down tothe cross sills and bent thereat into an inwardly extending flangebolted to the cross sills.

2. In a metal wagon body, the combination ofa plurality of cross sills,a plurality of channel shaped longitudinally extending metal sills rest-4 minating in upright portions formed with tubular rails along theirupper edges.

3. In a metal wagon body, the combination of a plurality vof crosssills, a plurality of channel shaped longitudinally extending metalsills resting on said cross sills and bolted thereto, a sheet metalfloor resting upon and welded to said channel shaped longitudinal sills,each side edge portion of said floor sheet being bent up vertically intoinverted U shape with one of the webs of the `U bend extending down tothe cross sills and bent thereat into an inwardly extending ange boltedto the cross sills, metal side walls bolted to said U bends of the floorsheet and extending upright therefrom for a portion of their height andthen sloping upward and terminating in upright portions formed withtubular rails along their upper edges, the lower edge portions of theside walls projecting below the oor to the cross sills and bent upwardthereat to provide U shaped portions bolted to the U bends of the floorsheet.

4. Iny a metal wagon body, the combination of a plurality of crosssills, a plurality of channel shaped longitudinally extending metalsills resting on said cross sills and bolted thereto, a sheet metalfloor resting upon and welded to said channel shaped longitudinal sills,each side edge portion of said floor sheet being bent up vertically intoinverted U shape with one of the webs of the U bend extending down tothe cross sills and bent thereat into an inwardly extending flangebolted to the cross sills, metal strips extending between the crosssills and having upright end members disposed on the outer sides of theU bends of the floor, and side walls interposed between said U bends andsaid upright members of the reinforcement strips and bolted thereto.

5. In a metal wagon body, the combination of a plurality of cross sills,a plurality of channel shaped longitudinally extending metal sillsresting on said cross sills and bolted thereto, -a sheet metal floorresting upon and welded to said channel shaped longitudinal sills, eachside edge portion of said floor sheet being bent up vertically intoinverted U shape with one of the webs of the U bend extending down tothe cross sills and bent thereat into an inwardly extending flangebolted to the cross sills, metal side walls bolted to said U bends ofthe oor sheet and extending upright therefrom for a portion of theirheight and then sloping upward and outward and terminating in uprightportions formed with tubular rails along their upper edges, and

metal gussets disposed on the outer sides of the side walls and havinginner edges-conforming to the contour of said side walls and weldedthereto, said gussets extending from the cross sills to the rails of theside walls with their outer edge portions bent at right angles to themain webs of the gussets to form flanges, the edge portions of which arebent parallel with said main web portions of the gussets.

6. In a metal wagon body, the combination of a pluralityof cross sills,a plurality of channel shaped longitudinally extending metal sillsresting on said cross sills and bolted thereto, a sheet metal doorresting upon and welded to said channel shaped longitudinal sills, eachside edge portion of said floor sheet being bent up vertically intoinverted U shape with one of the webs of the U bend extending down tothe cross sills `and bent thereat Vinto an inwardly extending flangebolted to the cross sills, metal side walls bolted to said U bends ofthe floor sheet and extending upright therefrom for a portion of theirheight and then sloping upward and outward and terminating in uprightportions formed with tubular rails along their upper edges, and metalgussets disposed on the outer sides of the side Walls and having inneredges conforming to the contour of said side walls and welded thereto,said gussets extending from the cross sills to the rails of the sidewalls with their outer edge portions bent at right angles to the mainwebs of the gussets to form anges, the edge portions of which are bentparallel with said main web portions of the gussets, sheet metal endswalls of substantially the same contour as the cross section of thebody, and similar gussets Welded to the side and end walls at thecorners.

7. In a, metal wagon body, the combination of cross sills,longitudinally extending flanged metal channel shaped longitudinal sillsresting upon said cross sills and bolted thereto, a metal oor sheetresting uponand welded to said longitudinal sills, said sheet being bentup at its side edges to form inverted U shaped upright portions, one legof each U bent portion extending down below the floor' sheet and beinganged at its lower edge with the flange resting upon and bolted to thecross sills.

WILLIAM D. JOHNSON.

